Digital rights management (DRM) is a general term that describes any technology that provides access control with respect to digital content. Digital content owners utilize DRM to control access and use of content. Generally, DRM involves digitally locking content to prevent unauthorized individuals from viewing the content. Digital locks are implemented utilizing encryption. More specifically, content is encrypted with an encryption algorithm, and in order to access unencrypted content, a key is required. For example, a user can be authenticated based on a user name and passcode, and if an authenticated user is authorized to access content, a key is provided that enables the encrypted content to be decrypted.
In one particular case, DRM is applied to documents such as word processing documents, spreadsheets, or e-mails. Here, a document creator applies DRM to protect documents sent to others. In this manner, the document creator, or owner, can prevent sensitive information from being accessed and used by unauthorized people.